Healing Our Waters Coalition » Press Releases

New Bills to Confront Asian Carp Threat Introduced in Congress

Jordan Lubetkin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:03:14 +0000

The U.S. Senate and House today introduced new bills aimed at combating the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. The legislation directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete within 18 months its study on how to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds to block the advance of the non-native Asian carp. The voracious fish are within miles of Lake Michigan. Scientists fear that an Asian carp invasion into the Great Lakes could devastate the region’s $7 billion sport and commercial fishery.

The legislation, the Stop Invasive Species Act of 2012 (S. 2317 and H.R. 4406), was introduced by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.); and Reps. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.).

The legislation updates the Stop Asian Carp Act of 2011, which was introduced last year.

Responding to the legislation, Jeff Skelding, campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“We applaud Sens. Stabenow, Durbin, Brown, and Portman, Reps. Camp and Slaughter and their Democratic and Republican colleagues for introducing this important bill. Beating back Asian carp is essential to restoring the Great Lakes. Over the last three years, the U.S. Congress and President Obama have made historic investments to restore the Lakes. We’re seeing results, but there’s more work to do. Allowing Asian carp to take hold in the Lakes will set back restoration efforts—which is why confronting the Asian carp crisis needs to remain a top priority for all public officials. We look forward to working with Congress to pass this vital legislation.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 120 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

New Report: Strong Farm Bill Key to Great Lakes Restoration

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:00:48 +0000

Farm wetland in Michigan. Farm conservation programs are essential for Great Lakes restoration. Federal Farm Bill programs provide financial support to farmers who take specific actions on their farms to protect the environment, such as protecting wildlife habitat or controlling pollution. (Photo by Stephen J. Brown)

Farm conservation programs producing results; but improvements can be made

In a new report issued today, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is urging federal public officials to strengthen and support successful farm conservation programs that are vital to restoring the health of the Great Lakes. Read the new report here.

“Farm conservation programs are essential for Great Lakes restoration,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Farm conservation programs are producing results, but there is more work to do. Cutting support for these successful programs now will cause problems to get worse and more costly to solve.”

The report, “The Case for Federal Farm Bill Conservation Programs in the Great Lakes Region,” documents how conservation measures on farms across the region are protecting natural resources, helping farmers improve productivity and providing jobs.

The report comes as U.S. legislators embark on revising the federal Farm Bill, the primary agriculture and food policy tool of the federal government that includes one of the largest sources of conservation funding in the federal budget: The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin receive more than $500 million in conservation funding annually through the Farm Bill.

The degree to which the new Farm Bill helps Great Lakes restoration efforts may hinge on the actions of federal public officials from the Great Lakes region—particularly in the U.S. Senate, which is leading the effort to update the Farm Bill. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is chaired by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and includes members Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

The stakes are high. In recent years, the Great Lakes have witnessed a resurgence of toxic algae blooms, which close beaches, kill fish and harm local businesses. The algae blooms have resurfaced due to a combination of factors: sewage overflows that spill billions of gallons of sewage into the lakes annually; the explosion of aquatic invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels that have turned the food web on its head; and industrial agricultural practices that allow excessive nutrients from fertilizer and manure to run off into rivers, streams and eventually the Great Lakes, harming water quality.

Federal Farm Bill conservation programs provide financial support to farmers who take specific actions on their farms to protect the environment, such as protecting wildlife habitat or controlling pollution.

“Farm conservation works,” said Gildo Tori, director of public policy for Ducks Unlimited. “Programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program provide a tremendous benefit by improving water quality and providing important wildlife habitat. It’s clear that Farm Bill programs benefit farmers, the Great Lakes and the economy.”

In the last two federal budgets, however, the U.S. Congress has cut Farm Bill conservation programs by more than $1 billion. President Obama’s fiscal year 2013 budget recommends further reductions of more than $400 million. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is urging lawmakers to restore conservation funding in the Farm Bill.

“Farmers across the region are embracing conservation practices that yield long-term results,” said Melissa Malott, water program director for Clean Wisconsin. “These actions are helping protect water quality, but there’s more to do. That’s why it’s essential for Congress to support a strong Farm Bill.”

The new report offers several recommendations to get more bang for the buck from federal Farm Bill programs, including:

Invest more, not less, on farm conservation programs;
Support a new regional restoration program;
Connect crop insurance subsidies to conservation compliance;
Eliminate provisions that incentivize habitat destruction; and,
Target programs on the worst problems.

“It’s clear that we need to do more,” said Don Scavia, University of Michigan professor of natural resources and the environment, and special counsel to the university’s president for sustainability. “Now’s not the time to scale back our efforts. We need to maintain support for federal farm conservation programs and find ways for projects to be targeted so that the funds are used where needed the most.”

The national discussion about the direction of the Farm Bill comes amidst an historic federal effort to restore the Great Lakes. For the last three years, the U.S. Congress and Obama Administration have worked together in a bi-partisan manner to invest more than $1 billion to clean up the lakes through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which funds projects to clean up toxic pollution, prevent polluted run-off, restore habitat and wetlands and confront the introduction of aquatic invasive species like the Asian carp. Some of the money from the initiative flows through federal Farm Bill programs, which pays farmers to set aside fields as wetlands or conservation reserves, or to better manage their fertilizer or waste.

“Great Lakes restoration and farm conservation go hand-in-hand,” said Joe Logan, director of agriculture programs for the Ohio Environmental Council. “Farmers have a unique role to play in protecting our Lakes, our drinking water and our way of life.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 120 environmental, conservation and outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

For Immediate Release:
March 20, 2012

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, 734-887-7109

Coalition to Attend White House Briefing on Great Lakes

Jordan Lubetkin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:43:42 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition members will be meeting today with senior White House and Obama Administration officials at a Great Lakes summit to discuss the accomplishments and priorities of the current administration.

The gathering followings a meeting Monday between coalition leaders and Obama Administration officials in the West Wing of the White House, at which time Great Lakes advocates put forward an agenda to maintain momentum for restoring the lakes by: Continuing to fund restoration programs through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; boosting federal assistance to help communities combat sewage overflows; enacting strong protections against ballast water invaders; confronting the algae bloom epidemic in Lake Erie; and moving more aggressively to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River to prevent the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species between the two bodies of water.

“We look forward to meeting with Obama Administration officials to discuss how we can work together to support Great Lakes restoration projects that benefit the environment and economy,” said Jeff Skelding, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Restoration efforts are producing results, but there is more to do. Continued leadership by President Obama and the U.S. Congress will be essential to restore our lakes, protect our drinking water, create jobs and uphold our way of life.”

The gathering, sponsored by the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s Office of Public Engagement, comes as coalition members from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin conclude two days of meetings with U.S. congressional offices as part of Great Lakes Days.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition views 2012 as a pivotal year in the effort to restore the Great Lakes, as the fate of key water issues hinge on actions by the Obama Administration and U.S. Congress. Among them:
• Funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other clean water programs;
• Reauthorizing the Farm Bill, the largest funding source for federal conservation programs;
• Finalizing EPA guidelines dealing with clean water protections and Coast Guard and EPA rules addressing polluted ballast water discharges; and,
• Acting to prevent the advance of Asian carp, which are on the doorstep to the Lakes.

“This is an important year for the Great Lakes,” said Skelding. “President Obama and the U.S. Congress have played very important bi-partisan roles over the last three years to advance Great Lakes restoration. We are counting on them to not waver in that commitment. If we scale back our commitment now, projects will only become more difficult and expensive to solve the longer we wait.”

The establishment of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2009 as part of President Obama’s inaugural budget has been widely hailed as a catalyst for region-wide action to nurse the lakes and interconnected system of rivers and wetlands back to health. Over the last three years, the initiative has infused more than $1 billion into restoration programs that are putting people to work to restore fish and wildlife habitat, clean up toxic pollution, confront invasive species and reduce runoff pollution from cities and farms. President Obama established the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative as a means to follow through on his 2008 campaign commitment to invest $5 billion in restoration activities and institute a “zero tolerance” policy toward invasive species.

The federal government’s investment in the Great Lakes is delivering results in communities large and small across the region. However, there are many signs that the Great Lakes still need help. Persistent beach closings, outbreak of toxic algae in Lake Erie and steady advance of the Asian carp are reminders that there is still much work to do to restore the Lakes.

“There’s a lot of great work being done across the region, and there’s a lot more to do,” said Skelding. “We view the White House meeting as a sign that the Obama Administration understands the importance of healthy Great Lakes to the region’s communities and economy. We look forward to continuing to work with the administration to fund successful programs and to enact strong policies that protect the Great Lakes for people now and for generations to come.”

For Immediate Release:
February 29, 2012

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, 734-904-1589

Coalition: President Obama’s Budget ‘Keeps Great Lakes Restoration on Track’

Jordan Lubetkin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:11:26 +0000

ANN ARBOR (Feb. 13, 2012) – President Barack Obama released his 2013 budget today, which contains $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative –maintaining funds for the program at the level appropriated by the U.S. Congress in the fiscal year 2012 budget.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative supports solutions to some of the most urgent threats to the Great Lakes, including toxic contamination, polluted run-off, aquatic invasive species, and loss of habitat and wetlands. The program is widely hailed as re-igniting the nation’s effort to restore the Great Lakes—a resource that more than 30 million people depend on for their drinking water.

Over the last three years, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided more than $1 billion to restoration programs in the eight states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Today, responding to the White House budget, Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“President Obama’s budget keeps Great Lakes restoration on track. The budget acknowledges that restoration programs are producing results—but there is more work to do. We applaud President Obama’s ongoing support for Great Lakes restoration, even in a difficult budget climate, and we look forward to working with the U.S. Congress to ensure the nation continues to make Great Lakes restoration a national priority.”

“The bottom line is the nation cannot afford not to protect the Great Lakes—more than 30 million people depend on the Lakes for drinking water. If we cut funding now, it will only cost more later, because projects will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.”

For more information, visit: www.healthylakes.org

Coalition to Next President: Commit to Action on Great Lakes, Asian Carp

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:48:26 +0000

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (February 7, 2012) – In a pledge sent to election committees of former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul, Gov. Mitt Romney, former Sen. Rick Santorum and President Barack Obama, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is calling on White House aspirants to commit to supporting Great Lakes restoration and action on Asian carp.

“Millions of people are counting on the next president of the United States to stand up for the Great Lakes,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Great Lakes programs are producing results in communities around the region—but there is more work to do. Cutting restoration funding and failing to take action on the Asian carp will cost taxpayers more money because problems will only become more difficult and expensive the longer we wait.”

The pledge reads: “As a candidate for President of the United States of America, I will not put off addressing the nation’s most severe problems. Therefore, I pledge to make Great Lakes protection and restoration a priority within my administration.”

The “Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Candidate Pledge” asks all the candidates to support funding for the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and action to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to protect U.S. waters from invasive species like the Asian carp. Read the full pledge at: http://bit.ly/2012GLpledge

Release of the pledge comes as Republican presidential hopefuls begin to compete for votes in Great Lakes states. Minnesota holds its caucus today, with Michigan holding its primary on February 28 and Ohio hosting its contest on March 6, Super Tuesday.

The Great Lakes region promises to play a major role in the 2012 elections, as candidates vie for votes in electoral-rich “battleground” states such as Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

Great Lakes restoration has played prominently in the last two presidential elections.

In 2004, in the heat of a challenging re-election bid, then-president George Bush signed an executive order declaring the Great Lakes a resource of national significance and established the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The effort brought more than 1,500 people together to craft a plan to restore and protect the Great Lakes. The $20 billion plan—the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy—has been widely credited with galvanizing support for Great Lakes restoration among conservation, business, industry and civic leaders in the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

In 2008, then-candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney all committed their support to restore the Great Lakes. After candidate Obama signed the Great Lakes pledge, he released a 5-point plan to restore the Lakes. In his first year in the White House, President Obama launched the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a multi-year investment in the Great Lakes aimed at confronting urgent problems such as invasive species, habitat destruction, toxic pollution and dirty run-off from farms and cities.

“Presidential leadership,” said Skelding, “has been essential in the effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes.”

Support for restoration activities by the last two presidents has helped the country make strides in restoring the Lakes. Progress can be seen in communities across the region:

Fish and wildlife are returning to places after decades-long absences;
Businesses are emerging and thriving on restored waterfronts; and
People are fishing, kayaking and swimming in restored waterways.

Despite the progress, there are continued signs that the Great Lakes need help:

Algae blooms are returning in Lake Erie, hurting tourism, small businesses and fishing;
Fish consumption advisories and beach closures still persist; and
New threats like the Asian carp have been discovered within the Lakes.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is dedicated to ensuring that the next president and Congress maintain the nation’s commitment to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

“We are making progress so the nation cannot let its guard down in the effort to protect the Great Lakes,” said Skelding. “We need the next president to show leadership on this issue. Great Lakes restoration is not a Democratic or Republican issue—it is an issue of national significance and utmost urgency. Standing up for the Great Lakes is like standing up for the Grand Canyon or Everglades. We’re asking each presidential candidate to commit to restoring a piece of America that helps define who we are as a people and nation.”

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of 120 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at: www.healthylakes.org

For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2012

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, 734-904-1589, Lubetkin@nwf.org

Coalition Grants Helping Groups Participate in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Jordan Lubetkin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:24:44 +0000

For Immediate Release:
January 26, 2012

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 734-887-7109

$200,000 in grants leads to more than $1.6 million in federal funds for restoration projects in high-priority areas

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Jan. 23, 2012) —The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today announced that $200,000 in grants it issued in 2010 to help local conservation groups participate in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has resulted in more than $1.6 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funds for restoration projects—an 8-to-1 return on investment.

The $200,000 in coalition grants also led to an additional $4.2 million in state, federal and private funds to support restoration work.

“The coalition’s grant program is producing results,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The program is successfully helping local groups participate in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other state and federal restoration programs. Our seed grants, and the additional funds they leveraged, will accelerate restoration activities in the areas most in need of restoration and in places that can provide the most ecological benefit.”

Total 2010 Coalition Grant Awards	$200,000
Total GLRI Applications	12
Total GLRI Awards	6
Total GLRI Funding Leveraged	$1,693,963
Return on Investment (GLRI)	8-to-1
Additional Funding Leveraged	$4,215,832
Total Restoration Funding Leveraged	$5,909,795
Return on Investment (All restoration programs)	29-to-1

A complete list of the coalition’s 2010 grants and evaluation can be found here.

For the past two years, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has awarded grants of up to $15,000 to local groups so that they can compete for federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, which support activities to clean up toxic sediments, restore habitat and wetlands, confront invasive species and reduce polluted run-off from cities and farms.

The coalition focuses its grants program in five geographic priority areas, as selected by scientists, where restoration dollars will be most beneficial: The St. Louis River and St. Louis Bay in Lake Superior; the waters of Lake Michigan in the Chicagoland area; Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay; western Lake Erie and eastern Lake Ontario.

“The coalition grants have provided a boost for local groups that are on the front lines of Great Lakes restoration efforts,” said Jill Ryan, executive director of Freshwater Future, which acts as the Healing Our Waters Coalition’s Implementation Coordinator. “We’re glad to see high-priority areas receive funding and look forward to working with the U.S. EPA to continue investing federal dollars so that we get the most restoration bang for our buck.”

The coalition grants supported a variety of restoration projects that are addressing serious problems facing the Great Lakes, including: phosphorus pollution; noxious algae; failing septic systems; and the invasive reed Phragmites, which is crowding out native plant species at numerous sites across the region. The grants also supported efforts to remove dams, restore wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitat.

Among the coalition’s grant recipients, Alliance for the Great Lakes in Chicago, Ill., received a $15,000 coalition grant, which helped the group win $150,000 from Sustain Our Great Lakes and $226,950 from EPA through the competitive grants process under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

“With a jump start from HOW’s investment, communities up and down the Illinois shoreline are making the most of their unique glacial ravines,” said Angela Larsen, Coastal Program manager for the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “Great Lakes coasts are home to a stunning array of biodiversity, and we’re ecstatic to help landowners make the restoration connection to the lakes.”

Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association in Toledo, Ohio, received $15,000 from the coalition, which was leveraged to receive almost $500,000 from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

“Getting a grant for preliminary work to set up an invasive species early detection project in western Lake Erie was great,” said Sandy Bihn, Lake Erie Waterkeeper. “Invasive species pose a real threat to the Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes. The initial small grant helped establish new networks to connect research with Lake Erie community-based education and outreach—collaboration that will continue with the support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant.”

The Bad River Watershed Association in Ashland, Wis., received a $3,000 grant from the coalition that helped the organization earn a $300,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant.

“The Healing Our Waters grant the Bad River Watershed Association (BRWA) received in 2010 was an important part of helping BRWA strengthen relationships with local natural resources partners” said Matt Hudson, Watershed Action Director for the Bad River Watershed Association. “These strong relationships helped BRWA receive a portion of a 2-year GLRI grant in 2011 and lay the foundation for much of our work to maintain and improve the health of the Bad River Watershed.”

The St. Louis River Alliance in Duluth, Minn., received two seed grants from the coalition. The first, for $10,000, led to $250,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The second award for $14,976 led to a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for $268,401.

“The coalition grant program provided key funding that made it possible for us to seek Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding,” said Julene Boe, executive director for the St. Louis River Alliance. “I’m very pleased that these efforts were successful in receiving funding for two projects that will make a difference in the St. Louis River Area of Concern.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has provided $775 million for Great Lakes restoration projects in its first two years. The program received another $300 million in fiscal year 2012.

Restoring the lakes is good for fish and wildlife, tourism, human health and the economy. A study by the Brookings Institution found that every $1 investment in Great Lakes restoration leads to $2 in economic benefit for the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

A recent study by Grand Valley State University economists found that a $10 million restoration project at Muskegon Lake in Michigan produced more than $66 million in economic benefits via increased property values, more tourism and higher tax revenues.

“Great Lakes restoration produces results,” said Skelding. “But there is more work to do. We look forward to working with the U.S. Congress and President Obama to maintain funding in the fiscal year 2013 budget for this essential work. Cutting funding will cost more money, because projects will only become more difficult and expensive the longer we wait.”

For more information visit: http://healthylakes.org/

Coalition: 2012 Budget ‘Significant Victory for Millions Who Depend on Great Lakes’

Jordan Lubetkin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:30:12 +0000

$300 Million for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

$533 million for region to address sewage overflows

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (December 20, 2011) – The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is praising the 2012 federal budget bill, which has passed both chambers of Congress and is waiting to be signed into law by President Obama. The budget provides $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore wildlife habitat, stop invasive species and reduce polluted run-off from farms and cities.

The budget also includes $1.468 billion to help communities across the nation address the chronic problem of sewage overflows. Based on a fixed formula, the eight Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin will receive about $533 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low- and no-interest loans to communities to fix old sewers.

Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative remains relatively unchanged, receiving $300 million in fiscal year 2012 compared with $299 million in fiscal year 2011. Funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund decreased by 3.5 percent. Congress approved $1.53 billion in fiscal year 2011 and $1.46 billion in fiscal year 2012. Great Lakes states will receive an estimated $533 million in fiscal year 2012, compared with $552 in fiscal year 2011.

“The 2012 budget represents a significant victory for the millions of people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs and way of life,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “This investment will help support programs that are delivering results in communities across the region.”

The House of Representatives passed the bill 296-121 on Friday. The Senate passed the bill 67-32 on Saturday. President Obama is expected to sign the budget into law this week.

Members of Congress from the Great Lakes states were instrumental in holding the line against cuts to Great Lakes programs, including appropriations committee members Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), and Reps. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), and Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).

“We thank the region’s congressional delegation for stepping up to the plate to make Great Lakes restoration a priority in the federal budget,” said Skelding. “Great Lakes programs are producing results—but there’s more work to do. We look forward to working with the U.S. Congress and President Obama to continue supporting Great Lakes programs that offer some of the best returns on the dollar in the federal budget.”

The Brookings Institution found that restoration activities generate at least $2 for every $1 investment. Economists at Grand Valley State University in Michigan concluded that a $10 million investment to restore Muskegon Lake in Michigan is generating more than $66 million return on investment through higher property values, increased tourism and an expanded tax base.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is supporting more than 900 local projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin aimed at restoring the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water for 30 million people and support one of the world’s largest regional economies. More than 1.5 million U.S. jobs are directly connected to the Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages annually, according to an analysis by Michigan Sea Grant at the University of Michigan.

The budget bill did not include an amendment offered by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) that would have forced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete in 18 months its study that examines options to separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River. Completion of the study is essential in the effort to keep the non-native Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

States will receive the following estimated funds through the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund based on a set national formula.

State	Fiscal year 2011 funding	Fiscal Year 2012 funding (estimate)
Illinois	$68,777,500.00	$66,243,150.00
Indiana	$36,600,000.00	$35,251,300.00
Michigan	$65,422,500.00	$63,011,800.00
Minnesota	$27,907,500.00	$26,879,100.00
New York	$167,902,500.00	$161,715,500.00
Ohio	$85,705,000.00	$82,546,900.00
Pennsylvania	$60,237,500.00	$58,017,800.00
Wisconsin	$41,175,000.00	$39,657,800.00
Total	$553,727,500.00	$533,323,450.00

For more information visit: http://www.healthylakes.org

For Immediate Release:
Dec. 20, 2011

Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition, 734-887-7109

EPA Releases Vessel General Permit to Improve Regulations on Ballast Discharges

Jordan Lubetkin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:02:02 +0000

ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES – GREAT LAKES UNITED – HEALING OUR WATERS-GREAT LAKES COALITION – NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION – NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

For Immediate Release December 1, 2011

EPA Releases Vessel General Permit to Improve Regulations on Ballast Discharges

Conservation groups call for stronger federal regulations to protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species

Late yesterday, the federal government took another tentative step toward protecting the Great Lakes and vulnerable coastal waters from the scourge of invasive species with proposed limitations on their chief delivery vehicle: ballast water dumping by commercial vessels. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a new national permit to deal with discharges of ballast water that are a normal part of operating freighters and other large commercial vessels. As a result of a legal settlement, that permit will limit the number of invasive species that vessels can dump in the Great Lakes and other water bodies. Unfortunately, EPA’s new limits are pegged to standards established by the International Maritime Organization, which while supported by the shipping industry, are not strict enough to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive organisms which currently cost the eight Great Lakes states over $1 billion every five years.

“It is hard to see the movement of invasive species until it is too late,” said Thom Cmar, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Unfortunately, out of sight, out of mind has meant that we have not dealt with the problem of ‘living pollution’ as aggressively as other environmental threats like oil spills or toxic releases. The new proposed ballast water permit is par for that course–it is a start, but nowhere near what is needed to stop these uninvited critters from sapping our most valuable water resources.”

The permit update comes on the heels of a long legal battle to force EPA to regulate ballast water under the Clean Water Act. Protective limits on invasive species in vessels’ ballast discharges are necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species carried in the ballast tanks from overseas ports. Species like the zebra and quagga mussels, spiny water fleas, and round gobies have all arrived to the Great Lakes via the unregulated discharge of contaminated ballast water.

“Since the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Great Lakes has been ground zero for freshwater invasions from overseas vessels,” said Jennifer Nalbone, Director of Navigation and Invasive Species for Great Lakes United. “The EPA’s VGP is a real opportunity to advance protection for the Great Lakes and the nation. After decades of painfully slow progress, our waters deserve a leap forward in protection, not a baby step.”

While the new permit represents an improvement over previous versions, conservation groups and scientists are concerned that the weak international standards are not strict enough to prevent the next major invasive species threat. International Maritime Organization ballast water standards are not scientifically based and offer only a marginal improvement over the current practice of flushing ballast tanks with saltwater.

The federal Clean Water Act requires EPA to give states an opportunity to add requirements to the proposed permit if the states find that more stringent provisions are necessary to protect against vessels’ pollution. The states of New York and California have already adopted far more stringent standards, based on their own scientific determinations that anything less protective would leave their waters vulnerable to new species invasions. As part of EPA’s permit update, all of the states will have the opportunity to decide whether they will adopt their own more stringent ballast water standards. In addition, the Coast Guard has finally sent its final rulemaking to set standards for living organisms in Ships’ ballast water to the Office of Budget and Management. By contrast, recent legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would also adopt the weak International Maritime Organization ballast water standards, but it would do so while also eliminating EPA’s authority to require more protection under the Clean Water Act, as well as states’ authority to create more stringent requirements under tougher state laws.

“The proposed EPA permit is a step in the right direction, but it still doesn’t shut the door on invasive species,” said Andy Buchsbaum, Director of the National Wildlife Federation-Great Lakes Program Office. “On the positive side, it sets numerical limits for ballast water discharges and maintains the rights of states to add additional protections. But EPA’s proposed standard still allows the discharge of invasive organisms into the Great Lakes and the nation’s waters at significant levels. That’s simply not acceptable.”

EPA will entertain public comments on the draft permit for 75 days, before finalizing the permit in late 2012. Conservation groups will submit written comments to EPA urging the permit be strengthened.

Great Lakes groups also express concern over the exemption of “Lakers,” ships operating only in the Great Lakes. While these boats may not be responsible for the introduction of new invasive species from overseas, they have been shown to facilitate the movement of foreign organisms between the Lakes. Additionally, the permit allows for a lengthy delay before vessels will be required to install new ballast technology, allowing some vessels to operate for more than a decade before meeting the new standards.

“The Great Lakes are more than ready for a strong national standard that can help win the war against invasive species,” said Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “While EPA’s first draft does not go far enough to protect our waters, there is still time to craft a permit that truly puts us on track to eliminate devastating invasions of the largest freshwater resource on the continent.”

“Stopping the influx of invasive species is essential to restore and protect the Great Lakes,” said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The people, communities and businesses that have paid billions of dollars over the years to deal with the vast economic and environmental damage caused by invasive species deserve the strongest possible water quality protections.”

For more information contact:
Andy Buchsbaum, National Wildlife Federation, phone: 734-717-3665, buchsbaum@nwf.org
Josh Mogerman, Natural Resources Defense Council: phone: 312-651-7909, jmogerman@NRDC.org
Jennifer Nalbone, Great Lakes United: phone: 716-213-0408, jen@glu.org
Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes: phone: 773-590-6494, jbrammeier@greatlakes.org
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters Coalition, phone: 734-904-1589, lubetkin@nwf.org

Great Lakes Advocates Gather in Detroit: ‘Don’t Let Great Lakes Funding Dry Up’

Jordan Lubetkin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:19:12 +0000

7^th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference to Highlight Results of Restoration Activities, New Threats

DETROIT (October 12, 2011) — Some of North America’s most dramatic examples of ecosystem restoration will be featured in Detroit Oct. 11-14 at the 7^th annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference hosted by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. The meeting—attended by more than 330 activists from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin—comes as the U.S. Congress debates the fate of restoration programs in the upcoming federal budget.

“Our message to Congress is simple: Don’t let Great Lakes funding dry up—more than 30 million depend on the lakes for drinking water,” said Jeff Skelding, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Restoration activities are producing results, but there is more to do. If we cut the funding now, it will only cost more later because projects will only get harder and more expensive the longer we wait.”

Follow Great Lakes conference proceedings, look at pictures, watch video and read updates throughout the week at http://conference.healthylakes.org/

The conference will highlight successful restoration projects and focus attention on the critical need to remove more toxic sediments from the Great Lakes, restore fish and wildlife habitat and prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the lakes.

Read the conference agenda: http://bit.ly/11HOWagenda

Three years after President Obama and Congress passed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the federal government has invested $775 million in restoration programs to clean up toxic pollution, restore habitat, reduce polluted run-off and combat invasive species. In short, the promise of Great Lakes restoration has started to become reality.

But there are looming challenges to Great Lakes restoration efforts. Against this backdrop, advocates, experts, researchers and public officials tackle the latest issues, including:

Asian carp and the Chicago Waterway System;
prioritizing restoration efforts;
Great Lakes restoration success stories;
environmental justice issues; and,
rural conservation projects help the lakes and farming communities

The 7^th annual conference is part of “Great Lakes Week” in Detroit, an unprecedented gathering of U.S. and Canadian organizations working to restore and protect the lakes. Detroit Public Television is offering week-long coverage of “Great Lakes Week”—including live streaming—at http://www.greatlakesnow.org

Detroit is home to several of the nation’s most dramatic restoration projects:

reductions in pollution discharges have improved water quality in the Detroit River;
whitefish, sturgeon and bald eagles have returned to the Detroit river system after being absent for decades;
the Rouge River, which was so polluted in the 1960s it caught fire, now supports a burgeoning fishery;
the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is North America’s first international wildlife refuge; and,
the Detroit Riverwalk has transformed the city’s waterfront from an industrial wasteland into a popular gathering spot and a catalyst for economic development.

Read about Detroit-area restoration stories at: http://bit.ly/DetroitRestoration

Ecosystem restoration is one of many aspects of “Great Lakes Week,” which encompasses conferences hosted by the International Joint Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Areas of Concern Program, the Great Lakes Commission, The Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition and Environment Canada – the leading organizations that deal with Great Lakes issues. For the first time, these events are being hosted in the same city in the same week.

Information about the Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition’s Great Lakes Restoration Conference can be found at http://conference.healthylakes.org.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 115 environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos, aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at: http://healthylakes.org/